The present invention relates to a fastening arrangement for releasably interlocking wiremesh panels or frames.
Storage bins and bin shelves may be in the form of interlocked wiremesh panels or frames. Each wiremesh frame is preformed into a particular shape which, when interlocked with other preformed frames in a predetermined manner, provide a desired configuration for the bin or shelf. By wiremesh, the configuration is characterized by a set of parallel elongated elements which cross another set of parallel elongated elements to form a grid-like configuration. All the elongated elements of one frame are bounded by the periphery of the frame. The wiremesh may be made of any material, such as metal for durability and strength, synthetic resin for ease of manufacture, rubber or elastic materials for flexibility.
Depending upon the desired quantity of a product which is to held by the bin or shelf, it may be desireable to adjust the size of the bin or shelf accordingly. Where fastening between frames is effected solely at the periphery of the frames, adjustability in size may be impossible to obtain without deforming the frames.
Once assembled, the storage bins or bin shelves are secured to a gondola, which is an island fixture in retail or department stores used to display merchandise. The gondola is characterized by having two spaced apart and parallel vertically extending support posts, each with a plurality of holes at uniform distances along the height of the support post. These holes are suitable for attachment by hooks or the like which clamp into the holes.
Unfortunately, the spacing between the supports of the gondolas may vary depending upon the locale. Even if all the gondolas of a particular country are of a standard size, that standard size may still be different than that used in another country. Therefore, installing the same size bin or shelf in different countries poses problems.
It would therefore be desireable to provide a fastening arrangement between wiremesh frames which enables interengaging frames to be adjusted into any one of a plurality of relative positions. It would furthermore be desirable to provide a fastening arrangement to a gondola which is adjustable to accommodate variations in spacing between two vertical attachment supports of the gondola. In this manner, the same storage bin or bin shelf may be employed at different locations.